CROTON Plant CARE | Codiaeum Variegatum Care Tips
Table of Contents
Moving Crotons
The first thing I want to start with is one of the potential problems: crotons hate being moved. They really don’t like big changes of scenery. Croton plant care leaves falling off can happen if you bring it outside in the summer, you want to be very careful and know that they might actually lose all their leaves in that process.
The same goes for when you’re bringing it home from the store; they really don’t like that and can go into shock quite easily, causing them to drop all their leaves. Just know that this is totally normal. Continue giving them the TLC they need, and it should be okay.
They are pretty hardy. They bounce back in a few weeks to a month and it should be okay. Just treat them like normal and it’ll be fine.
Picture Credit : Pexel.com
Light Requirements For Croton Plant Care
Light is super important for crotons. They really like direct bright sunlight, probably about four to six hours a day. In flats with not very many windows, it is a little bit difficult.
They can also get a bit leggy when they don’t get enough light. So just be aware that this is a thing that can happen.
My croton lives about two meters or six feet away from a southwest window. In the spring and autumn, I think it gets probably about an hour of direct sunlight a day because the sun is slightly lower on the horizon and can come in the windows. In the summer, the sun goes too high to have light where it is. So it does get some sunlight.
Watering Tips For Effective Croton Plant Care
I find knowing when to water crotons really easy because they go on full wilt when they are thirsty. Their leaves are fairly horizontal.
If the leaves kind of go down, it basically just tells you that it’s thirsty so you don’t have to worry about water metering it or anything.
They will tell you when they want to be watered just by drooping down. That’s basically a sign that they need water, which is totally fine, totally normal. All you have to do is give them some water and they’ll just perk right back up again and it’s great.
In the winter, I probably only water it every 10 to 14 days. I think it just really depends. They do like to be quite moist but not wet.
But again, like I said, they’ll tell you when they need it and I just go by that rather than trying to stick to a schedule.
Temperature Requirements
They like to be fairly warm. Their ideal is between 15 and 27 degrees Celsius or 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
That’s when they thrive the most. Any hotter or colder than that and they won’t be very happy. At less than 12 degrees Celsius or 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the leaves could start getting brown and being super unhappy.
So try not to let it get colder than that because the croton’s gonna have a bad time. Also, they dislike warm and cool drafts and you don’t want them sitting right up next to a window because those get quite hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It could burn or not freeze but be too cold for the leaves. So don’t put them right up against windows.
That’s not their vibe.
| Temperature Range | Description |
|---|---|
|
15 – 27°C (60 – 80°F) |
Ideal temperature range |
|
Above 27°C (80°F) |
Can tolerate, but monitor closely for signs of stress or dehydration
|
|
Below 12°C (55°F) |
Risk of leaf browning and plant stress |
|
Below 7°C (45°F) |
Can cause severe damage or death |
Understanding Humidity
Crotons like humidity. They are originally from tropical countries and so they like it to be a bit more humid.
Average to high household humidity should be fine. If you have a really well-lit bathroom that gets sun, that’s the perfect place for this. You can also put them on pebble trays if you find that easier than misting, but it’s totally up to you.
Croton Plant Care: Potting & Soil
When it comes to soil, they like moist but well-draining soil, so you don’t want to use something too heavy.
Medium-weight soil should be fine, but you also don’t want it to be too dry. Again, it’s a balance. You just have to figure out what’s right, and if that means drier soil and watering it more often, then if that’s what you gotta do, that’s what you gotta do.
Also, it’s really important that your pot has drainage holes because you want the water to come out the bottom. You do not want it to sit with wet feet.
They don’t like that all that much. You want to repot these when you see that the roots are starting to come out at the bottom of the pot. You want to make sure that you’re potting only one size up, which is an extra two or three centimeters bigger, or an inch to an inch and a half. Make sure you’re repotting in the spring because that is the time they like it the most. Also, do beware because they don’t like moving. Repotting them could cause them some shock and the leaves could fall off a bit, and again, that is totally okay. Just keep giving them the love and care and it should be fine.
Picture Credit: Pexel.com
Fertilizer
When it comes to fertilizing, you want to fertilize these probably about once a month in the spring and summer, but not at all in the autumn and winter.
Propagation
Propagating this plant is actually pretty easy. What you need to do is cut about seven to ten centimeters or three to four inches of the stem from the top.
You want to make sure it has about three to five leaves on it, and you can either stick that in water and wait for it to root or stick it in soil and wait for it to root that way. It probably takes about a month to a month and a half for roots to start growing. If you do the soil method, you want to make sure that you’re keeping it in a warm place and you’re keeping the soil moist just because that’ll encourage the roots to grow better.
Toxicity
One of the only downsides to crotons is that they are actually toxic to humans and pets. So like I always say, don’t eat your plants, don’t let your pets eat your plants, don’t let your kids eat your plants. No one should be eating these plants because if ingested, it could cause irritation of the mouth and stomach and you could even vomit, which isn’t very fun, is it? So just don’t do that and you’ll be fine.
So that’s it, that’s all you need to know about croton plant care, also known as the Codiaeum variegatum.
 *(Include an image of droopy leaves)* Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves. The annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed and can only be cut away, leaving you with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, you'll notice that it's pulling away from the sides of the pot. This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently. #### Signs Your Plant is Overwatered (darkgreen) Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts often have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought followed by large rain which rehydrates them. **Yellowing leaves** (red) can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem. If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant. **Limp and mushy leaves** (red) also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias. Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off.  *(Include an image of yellowing leaves)* Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin recently developed some new brown leaves that fell off because I was overwatering it. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water. You may also notice some water droplets on the ends of the leaves of some of your plants. This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. **Increased presence of fungus gnats** (red) can also be a sign that your plant is too moist. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it creates a breeding ground for gnats. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, I would just dial back on the watering and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again. #### Watering Tips (darkgreen) It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings. This prevents the possibility of over-watering, which is one of the most common reasons people kill their plants. **Check the soil moisture** (red) before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again. An even better way to check the soil moisture is to invest in a moisture meter. This device needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, giving you control over watering your plants.  *(Include an image of a moisture meter)* When you identify that your plant needs water, make sure you give it a thorough soaking. Take your plant to a sink area and soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This ensures that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches. **Bottom watering** (teal) is a method that has changed the health of my plants since I implemented it a couple of years ago. Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf tissue damage. I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when to water your plants and when not to. Apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening! --- Incorporating these visual and formatting enhancements will make your article more attractive and engaging for your readers.](https://growinggaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-artempodrez-7242495-scaled.jpg)
